Icha Icha Seduction
by Ymir-chan
Summary: Sakura uses Icha to Seduce Kakashi. She wrote what she wanted to show him, and now the copynin gets to pant over her in a book while fighting for control as she delivers the goods with a sultry smirk.
1. Chapter One: She Gets What She Wants

**Icha Icha Seduction**

**By Ymir-chan**

**Disclaimer: yes, I own everything here.**

**Second Disclaimer: I am so deluding myself. –sigh-**

**Summery- He reads the new Icha novel. It's about a Kunoichi named Sakura seducing her Sensei, and Kakashi is uncertain and aroused as events play out just like in the book with his own Sakura.**

**Summery 2- Sakura uses Icha to Seduce Kakashi. She wrote what she wanted to show him, and now the copy-nin gets to pant over her in a book while fighting for control as she delivers the goods with a sultry smirk.**

**I couldn't decide which one I liked best, but it can't hurt to put both on here. Hope you enjoy every little bit. I haven't written an M rated story in a while. It has very slight Sakura/Naruto and Sakura/Neji. You'll see how slight in this chapter, so don't worry, it wont be no triangle. Sakura has her heart set on a naked Kakashi. –drools- oh the imagery.**

**Warning! This story will contain adult content and in the future, a lemon. It will also contain a man hitting his head against walls in the attempt to keep his hands to himself. It's so fun to tease him.**

**Italics are most likely always going to be from Icha Icha Seduction, the book in the story. So you're going to get to read the book. How awesome is that?**

**Chapter One**

**She Gets What She Wants**

"I can't believe you're doing this. Really, if you wanted the man, than you should be more forwards with him, give him some hints. This seems a bit cowardly to me."

"The man is a genius ninja and can see through anything, but he is an idiot rivaled to Naruto when it comes to women. Real woman. So can you help me out here? I can't do it without you."

The two women faced off in a dimly lit room well past midnight. One woman was begging, hands clasped and lips pouting as the other stood tall and slightly disturbed.

"I don't know why you'd go so far. Why can't he be addicted to chocolate or something? I'd be glad to throw you in a tub of chocolate and wrap you up in a bow for him. But no, the man has to be odder than sin."

"Can we please stick to the point here? I'm not asking much of you, barley anything, just a hand in the cards, so to speak. Any ways, I'm the one who has to model for that other one." The stern woman shuddered, mentally shaking off any visuals. Of the man.

"If this works, than at least I'll have him off my back for a while, and a woman other than me in a book." The last part was mumbled, barely catching the younger woman's attention.

"What was that last part?" She inquired, slanting the other woman with a vicious grin. "Did I just hear you admit to it?" The older woman bristled at her mistake.

"I wouldn't be grinning like that, missy. You're about to be one too, you know." She just kept grinning, to her irritation.

"I think he likes you. Why don't you go out or something?"

"That old toad is a playboy kind of fool. He will never change and I can't stand him." The older woman's ears burned with indignation and embarrassment. She could like the man, if only he didn't get on her nerves.

"Yah, yah, all men hop in the same direction. So he has a few bad qualities, so does every one. But I think he gets a few points for still holding something for you all these years." She lifted her eyebrow suggestively. Seeing the other's crossed arms and red face, she dropped her grin and sighed. "Look, if you help me, than I'll help you. Deal?"

She held out her hand and the older woman glared at it, hesitating.

"Don't expect me to be any sort of lenient if he tries anything. I'll blast him clear to sand if he does." She took the offered and shook it firmly. The young woman smirked.

"I wouldn't ask it of you. I think he likes it like that anyways. I think that has great potential." She grimaced as the woman clenched her hand in a crushing grasp. Her face was burning again, outraged that she would imply such a thing. "Just be careful not to crush anything vital with that grip of yours."

The shock had the vice lock on her hands to lessen a fraction, enough to slip out and jump to the window sill. "See you tomorrow night, Tsunade, and careful not to break anything. Thanks!" She jumped out the window and disappeared in a swirl of petals.

Tsunade came out of her shock and leaned out the window. "Sakura!" She belted out into the night, but the kunoichi was gone, leaving a heaving Hokage screaming indignantly out the window.

**XxX**

"How long will it take to write this?" Sakura asked. The toad sannin flipped through the neatly ordered and carefully stapled stack of papers in his hands. He hummed and nodded over parts and grinned over others.

Sakura waited patiently at the table they were at, Tsunade, refusing to be anywhere near her or the man across from her, stood rigidly by the door. Jiraiya scanned over every page so professionally; it was a bit disconcerting to see him so focused. He flipped over some parts as he reached the climax, scanned it, than continued until the last page.

The stack of papers was mainly the story summarized by each chapter and critical details. It was up to Jiraiya to actually make it into a story and write all the fillers. Sakura would have written it herself, but she wasn't the best at story telling, and knew next to nothing about physical activities.

He tapped the papers back in order and laid them down on the table. He crossed his knuckles under his chin setting his eyes on hers. "It's a good story. I think I can do it in about a month or two."

"That's good." She inwardly danced. Maybe this wouldn't be so difficult, she thought.

"But," His cool gaze stretched lecherously as he looked her up and down. "To give me a better picture, I might have to get a better look."

Tsunade growled across the room and Jiraiya grinned at her. "I have that covered." Sakura replied before either grown children could start a fight. "I know you have some drawings in your books and when you need one, I'll get you a picture of myself however you need me."

He returned his attention back to Sakura and slapped the table with a hearty laugh. "You've got this all figured out, don't you? Well, not any picture will do. You'll have to come to me so I can get you how I want, other wise it wouldn't come out right." Sakura gagged to herself at the innuendo, but didn't object. She would have knocked the man about herself if she didn't need this favor from him.

"I will do what I can, but no complete nudes. It is seduction, after all. You'll have to use your imagination for that."

He leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin considering. His eyes shifted from one woman to the next. "Alright then, I'll do it. By what I've read so far, I don't think I will have to change anything, but I will be sure to notify you if it comes up. Now, about our payment," He was grinning like a fool again and Sakura held up her arm defensively to stop Tsunade from jumping on him.

"I can pay you for your services, and the price of two books. Also, if you keep yourself in line and control yourself, I'll even let you keep three of the pictures." She leaned against the table and held out her hand to shake. Jiraiya, though, sat back against the chair and shrugged his shoulders.

"This is still an awfully big job, and I get plenty of money on the other book sales. I want all the pictures, doubles of course so you can keep some too."

"Four."

"All of them."

"Five."

"Plus the doubles and negatives."

"No way! You can't raise the price like that. What do you need all those pictures for?"

He shrugged. "I'm the one you want to write your book. And a few pictures will barely fill the pages of your album."

"What album?"

"I have picture albums of all the beautiful women." He pulled out a three inch album from a large shelf and opened it up. It was filled more than halfway of various pictures of Sakura in all sorts of various times. From fifteen to present, Sakura saw her last six years documented in photos. Her mouth fell open and Sakura didn't even try to stop Tsunade from cracking her fist over the pervert's skull.

"Any ways," She cleared her throat and Jiraiya pulled himself back onto his seat, rubbing the swelling lump on his head. "I'll pay you for the price of writing it and two books, and if you behave professionally, then I'll let you keep half the pictures of your choice. Before you argue, the book should be long enough that you'll be able to put twenty to twenty-five pictures or more. I think that's plenty enough to fill about seven or so pages in your dirty spy albums. Is it a deal?"

She held out her hand again and waited for him to shake it. "You shouldn't be giving the dirty old man anything, especially for a sick hobby like his." Tsunade grumbled irritably in the corner. Sakura ignored her.

"Well, since Tsunade doesn't like it, then I guess we have a deal." He grabbed her small hand in his large one and shook hard, shaking Sakura around in her seat. She righted herself and rubbed her thrumming hand.

"Great, thank you for doing this for me. It means a lot."

He flipped his hand, shaking off her gratitude. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. I would do anything for a beautiful woman like yourself."

"At a brutal price."

"A man has to eat and be happy. I may be getting the better deal now, Sakura, but if this works out, then you'll have more than I ever will." His hearty smirk dimmed and his sad, sincere smile broke her heart. Even Tsunade shrunk quietly into the corner, refusing to look at the man's broken look. It only made Sakura want to hook them up even more.

"Ok then," She stood up and smacked her palm on the table top, effectively snapping everyone out of the depressing tension. "You know where to find me if you need anything. I'll be seeing you and hope you make this one your best ever. Hot, heavy, and seductive; make him need and crave me."

"I'll make it so he can't even sleep without you. He won't know what hit him."

**XxX**

He was going crazy, bonkers, ludicrous, and being unreasonable. He had morals to uphold, and dignity. He had a very large, killer electric line which he refused to try and cross. It was right there, with no trespassing signs and evil little rabid rats snarling at him. He knew what was right and the other side of the line was wrong. She was across that line, way far away over the line.

But Sakura was making it very difficult to even keep his mind relatively clean. Dirty thoughts were getting his ass kicked, literally and physically.

And she was beating the crap out of him for his trip in la la land.

"Come on Kakashi, you're not even trying."

Oh, he was trying alright, but that damned short kimono of hers was to damned distracting.

She had started wearing the short kimono a few years back, when ever she wasn't in ANBU uniform, and it was driving him crazy. Dark, hot red with sleeves reaching a little past her elbows, the bottom ends circling her mid-thigh. There was just a long, white, red tipped sash instead of an obi holding it closed. It was as strong and durable as leather, but soft and feminine as silk. There was light weight chain mesh underneath it, peaking out from the 'v' at her neck. With every kick and flip, Kakashi never missed a peak at her black skin tight mini shorts underneath it. She had knee high boots with metal shin guards latched onto them and her shuriken holster wrapped around her bare, luscious leg.

His groan, thankfully, was covered up by a kick to the ribs, cracking a few in the process.

Sakura was an elite kunoichi, top medic-nin and master of inhuman strength and astounding chakra control. Her shoulder blade length hair was tied in a high ponytail and her Konoha headband tied strait across her forehead, her sign of being a true ninja.

"If you don't try harder, then you'll have more than a few crushed ribs. I'll aim for your face next time."

That got him focused. He wanted to cover his face with his hands when he thought of the last time Sakura had went for his nose. He could count on both his hands and one toe how many times she had broken it. She fixed it for him of course, but that doesn't make up for the trauma.

The massive blood loss, the headache, the fact that he could almost see up his nose because it was bent so far up…the loose appendage bouncing about his face like a rubbery dead 'thing'.

He shuddered.

He pulled himself together and ducked her second strike to his face, rolling across the grass to put some space between them.

It was just a taijutsu fight, and both Kakashi and Sakura were evenly matched. Sakura was stronger than him, and could crush bones with one strike, but Kakashi was the faster one, and was able to evade most of her hits.

They met, at the least, once a week to train together, an idea Sakura came up with. She couldn't train with Tsunade all the time, and no one else could take a punch quite like he could, if she hit him.

That's how she put it.

Over the years of watching her grow into a stronger woman, Kakashi found himself having to actually put most his effort into their spars. Her taijutsu was top notch and her genjutsu was difficult to counter.

And it was only recently that he found himself disturbingly distracted. Which is the cause of every broken nose.

You'd think he'd learn after the first time, but every time after that, his eyes would unconsciously stray and he'd find another bone broken.

Kakashi decided to put the blame solely on the new release of Icha Icha Seduction. Instead of the usual character, Kenichi, it now stared a savvy, delicious kunoichi named Sakura and how she teases and enchants her older teacher, which he has no name except for Sensei.

He had found the book on his doorstep with a letter from Jiraiya which only had the word 'enjoy' written on it. After reading the first few pages, Kakashi realized the character 'Sakura' looked and acted like his own former student.

It was against his reading morals to peak ahead of a book, but Kakashi was fairly certain that all the other graphic drawings would look like the gorgeous woman whom he was currently sparing against.

And those very revealing pictures only made him wonder if Sakura actually looked like that with stripped clothing and a pouting mouth.

He cursed the old pervert. Kakashi knew the old man had done this on purpose, hence why he had gotten the novel as a gift. He had never noticed nor been attracted to Sakura until he saw what was written on those pages. Now he couldn't stop looking or wondering.

"Ok, Kakashi-sensei, time's up." Her voice snapped him out of another daze and he was thankful for the lack of broken bones as she crouched on one knee and wiped her face free of moisture. She smirked up at him and winked playfully. "You did better this time and only lost focus twice. Give me a minute and I'll fix the damage." He idly poked at his broken ribs as she let out an exhausted breath.

He had a nice view of creamy thigh before it reached the stretchy black shorts underneath.

Sakura pulled up to stand, -Kakashi mourned the loss of sight- when she stumbled over her clumsy leg and cried out in a sexy, soft mew. Reverting his gaze to her face, Kakashi quickly caught her arm to help her support her weight off her leg.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Sakura tried to shake her leg but winced and pulled it back to hang at a limp. "I just pulled a muscle when I stood." She leaned her hip against his as a crutch as she used both hands to massage her upper thigh. Kakashi tried to ignore the lecherous thoughts as her body pushed against his and her hands slowly hiked her skirt up to her hips.

The scenario was almost familiar, like a far off déjà vu. It was like something he'd seen in a movie or book, something that eventually led to clothes dropping. The answer was just barley escaping him when she turned her back to him and lay against his chest. "Sensei? I need you to put my leg on your shoulder as I bend backwards." She had tilted her head up to look him in the eye, her innocent emerald eyes looking anything but sweet, more like tempting.

Kakashi almost jerked backwards at her simple words. That phrase and position, her sultry look jolted the floating memory into focus. This was all too familiar; the injured student, the pleading eyes, the sexy legs, and the innocent plea coupled with the unsuspecting Sensei in a provocative position.

It was in the first chapter of Icha Icha Seduction.

_He couldn't remove his focus from her soft exposed skin. Legs that begged to be touched and tasted, a skirt that gave a man a non-existent barrier to the hidden globe of flesh under skin-tight shorts. Sensei relished in Sakura's tired and spent figure as she panted on the ground. He couldn't control the images of her looking like that underneath him, try as he might. He was her sensei, and had no right to think of his student in such a way. _

_There was a whisper in the back of his mind saying 'former' sensei. He was no longer her exact teacher any longer, but equal ninjas of strength and position. He ignored the traitorous thoughts as he settled on denial. He couldn't let himself think of his student and friend like that. It was disrespectful to Sakura and himself as her teacher and team member. _

_Sakura caught her breath and tried to stand up, but Sensei was more hot than concerned when she moaned erotically in slight pain. More images popped into his head as he imagined his name whispered in her breathless moans. _

"_I'm sorry Sensei; I guess I pulled my leg muscle." He held her shoulders as her small, slender hands rubbed at the luscious thigh, giving him a clear visual of rounded flesh and rip-me-off mini shorts as she bunched her skirt high on her hips. _

_Sensei froze as she turned and laid her back against his chest, tilting her head back locking her pleading jade eyes with his. "Sensei, can you lift my leg up as I bend backwards?" _

_He saw himself pull her creamy, sweat-glistened naked thigh and lock it over his equally bare shoulder as she panted, moaned and screamed, arching and bending under him as he rocked and plunged her senseless. _

_He couldn't do or say anything in objection as she pouted her lips and asked again. "Please, Sensei? It's really tight and I need you to stretch me." _

_Sensei lost both his breath and train of thought as he imagined something else. He didn't even know that he had moved until he noticed that he had Sakura's leg up behind him, close to his shoulder, and his other hand pressed against the underside of her breast supporting her upper body as she folded over and back. _

_She was looking him strait in the eye, her emotions hidden as she quirked an eyebrow upside down. "What are you thinking, Sensei?" _

_His only answer, as he continued to stare into her eyes, was the slight movement of his fingers as they slowly stroked the edge of her breast._

_He cursed his weakness as he realized he was close to falling towards taboo, hard. _

"Kakashi-sensei, don't just stand there. Can you please help me stretch it out?" She pulled him from his muse for the fifth time in only an hour. Kakashi mentally shook his head and pulled her leg back behind him, fully aware that 'Sensei' had done the same thing. He tried to keep his touch impersonal as he pulled her leg up against him and wrapped his other hand against her midsection. It was only coincidence that Icha Icha had the same thin in it. He had to believe it or else he would start questioning his sanity.

"Harder, Sensei," she said, and with her bent backwards, it came out sounding like a pant, making the blood drop below the waist.

"What?" He asked a little breathless.

She sighed and arched her leg and back more, making little sounds that drove him crazy. "I said harder. It's not stretching enough." He tried to focus on helping Sakura instead of how she could bend around him. "Here, move closer to me and pull my leg into a half circle to my head." She wrapped her hands around his neck and leaned back, catching his eyes with a small smile.

Kakashi's eye found something else to look at. With her arms stretched above her and leaning back, Kakashi had a nice show of cleavage to observe as the 'v' neck of her kimono widened.

If Sakura noticed, she didn't say anything. "Ok, now another position."

He decided not to think anymore. Just move where she wanted him to move and think of snow or empty nothingness. It was a lot safer than chronic nose bleed, or doing something stupid and making a perverted fool of himself. That was the last thing he needed, an angry Sakura knocking him around like a Kakashi-ball for thinking dirty thoughts.

She turned to face him and lifted her leg strait in the air and leaned it against his shoulder in a standing lunge. He held on to her ankle as she leaned her chest against her straitened leg then leaned back.

Any one walking by would have a great flash of spandex shorts.

Kakashi was suddenly bothered with all the bodily contact. Even though he wouldn't let any new images of Sakura's position come to mind, the others were still playing and torturing him.

Sakura suddenly dropped half her body away from him in an incomplete one handed cartwheel. She straitened her legs in perfect splits along the length of his side. "Push my leg towards me." She said. Kakashi forced his gaze to stay away from her open and partially revealing legs. Sure she had shorts on, but they didn't hide nor help anything.

He ignored her relieved moans and sighs as he pushed her legs further apart.

As he felt the pull of sinful lust, Kakashi couldn't help but feel the same as the Icha Icha Sensei did. . Damn his weakness and his inevitable fall of both his border line and moral constitution.

He was never going to feel clean again.

**XxX**

He had walked her home after their spar that afternoon, and Sakura was pleased to see he was keeping a safe distance between them. She was fully aware of her actions and what effect they had on the man and the moment her door shut, Sakura had ran strait to her bed to scream hysterically into her pillows.

He was completely distracted during training, which was not a Kakashi thing to do, and he seemed even more panic-stricken as he helped her stretch. The pulled muscle was just an act, but it worked just like she had hoped.

That meant he had started to read her bait, and noticed the similarities between the book and the woman slowly reeling him in.

The real success was the fact he was seeing Sakura as a man should, and wasn't wholly unaffected. He was doing well to hide his discomfort, but she was looking for the slightest twitches or hesitating touches and she noticed them instantly.

Or that he just completely zoned off when he was near her. That was a big clue right there.

She kicked off her boots and settled her back against the pillows on her bed and pulled out her own little red book to study. Tsunade had said she was being sneaky using the book against him, but Sakura thought of it as strategic.

After pining over the same boy for years and getting nothing in return, Sakura decided that she had to go about getting a man's attention another way.

They had to notice her first, without her bringing the attention to herself in the first place.

She had her eyes on Kakashi for a few years now. She had been plastered at the bar with Ino after her eighteenth, both of them cursing the stupidity of man and how they were missing out. Sakura had asked Ino to choose one guy they both know who was extremely attractive but the most unlikely to ever take notice of them.

"I think, it would be your Kakashi-sensei. He's got good looks, a mysterious presence, perverted, and strong. But he's too devoted to duty. He's the type of guy that is ninja first, man second."

She had stared at her blonde friend after her very good speech while shit-faced. She turned her attention to her drink and rolled it slowly across the table top feeling slightly inadequate. "Ya," She sighed, "A guy like that is too good for a girl like me anyways."

"What are you talking about?" Ino had leaned over the table and tried to focus on Sakura with little luck. "A guy like Kakashi would be damned lucky to get your attentions. No one is ever too good for you forehead, you just have to make him want you, then you got him like putty."

The alcohol had made it difficult to think, but as Ino started using Kakashi as an example, Sakura couldn't help but wonder if the Copy-nin would ever look at her as anything but a friend or team member. Sakura had never noticed before, but Kakashi was an attractive man. He had all the qualities she wanted in a guy but knew him as much as anyone did, which wasn't all that much.

One thing she knew, is that Kakashi didn't take much interest in women, if hardly ever. He didn't like people hanging around him all the time or to much attention. And Sakura wasn't about to throw herself at another guy, ever again.

The next day, after tending to a hangover, Sakura was still curious about the masked man, and that curiosity turned into a crush until it exploded into full out want. He would pop into her mind at all times during the day, and he would star in her secret fantasy filled dreams.

She had asked Kakashi to train with her once a week so she could be around him more. She even exchanged her sleeveless red shirt and tan skirt for something more feminine and attractive. But he never really noticed her. The only women he ever paid attention to were the ones in his perverted books.

That's when Sakura had an idea.

If he didn't notice her feminine attributes when she was standing right in front of him, then she would just have to show him what she could do, and wanted to do.

It was a deviant plan and Sakura liked the idea of teasing him through his own fantasies.

She bought a few of Jiraiya's novels and skimmed through them, blushing like crazy, but researching the kind of junk Kakashi liked to read.

She knew what she wanted to do, and even asked Ino for some pointers, before she started writing it down. And it all went from there.

It helped that Jiraiya was so good at writing teasing smut. It left her hot and wanting the masked man after the first few pages. The first chapters were written to make Kakashi notice her and want her, then need her, and then to have and take her. So far, he was following the script and reacting like she wanted him to.

Sakura still had a few more things to do to get him to see her and accept the attraction. Then she was going to move in and tease him, make him ache for her touch. She only had a few more days before Kakashi reached the second part of the book. She knew he liked to take his time reading, and usually reread chapters to make it last longer.

After today's events, Sakura was sure it would be no time before Kakashi would be hers to enjoy. It had been a while sense she had been in an intimate embrace, that being Neji. Sakura hadn't even looked at another man since she noticed Kakashi, and Neji understood. He had been her companion when the nights were long and a mission's nightmare soused her conscience.

Sakura ignored the fact that she wanted her sensei in her bed and wrapped in her arms without anything else to offer. She didn't think either of them was capable of love, and she didn't want that from him. It was understood by ninja that sometimes the only love you could have or need was in the touch of someone else, whether you were close to them or strangers. Sakura would rather be with men whom she loved, like when she was seventeen and had only Naruto before he found Hinata. Or when she had Neji, who cared for her in his own way without asking anything or putting her under any pressure.

She craved Kakashi now with a passion. When she was alone and feeling dirty and bloody, she could only imagine her sensei's easing touch and calming presence. It wasn't enough any more and Sakura was desperate for his strong body and compassionate embrace.

It felt right to want him, need him, and Sakura was never one to second guess her instinct. And with the book in his hands, Sakura hoped he would understand exactly what she wanted from him. The confession of love could drive any man or woman away, herself included, but Sakura was certain Kakashi would understand it was a wholly different kind of love she wanted.

Sakura felt content with her plans as she settled down for the night. She had to work at the hospital in ten hour shifts, plus her regular missions as tag-along medic, and the week had exhausted her.

Plus, she had to tell Tsunade the good news, and collect a large wad of cash for winning the bet.

The Hokage would probably be irritated at first, but Sakura couldn't wait to share a victory bottle of sake with her.

**XxX**

**Poor guy, I feel almost sorry for him. He has no idea that his little kunoichi wants him like an animal. I had to think like a perverted man while writing the real Icha book. It wasn't that hard, but it sure is different. I am not usually so crude, though I gave it some sensuality. Hope it wasn't too bad. **

**I've been really lazy at writing, so if you want another chapter quick, you'll have to say so other wise I'm just going to learn how to sleep. I've been up for almost thirty hours now…no more than that. Going on two and a half days. And I still have school. Great. I really like Neji, and I wish I could throw some Gaara in there but then my story would just be weird. Damn. **

**Well, hope you guys enjoy it. Naruto is really hard for me to write cus I suck at battle description. So, I'm just going to have to base it in the village with lots of tightening pants. Hope that's enough for you.**

**I got the idea from the story "His Fault" and how Kakashi would confuse what Sakura said with what he was dreaming about. So, I put it so he really was hearing her say what he imagined, cus he read it in his smut-porn. Talk about confusing. Well, it's been fun, but I have to get to school and try to learn. Have fun.**

**Laters,**

**Ymir-chan **


	2. Chapter Two: Uncertainty

**Icha Icha Seduction**

**By Ymir-chan**

_Italics are excerpts from the actual book, Icha Icha Seduction._

**Chapter Two: Uncertainty**

**XxX**

It was early, early Saturday morning with the sun barely making a rise over the trees and Kakashi was sitting cross legged on the bed counting his fingers. Yes, counting single finger digits.

Counting one, then to eight fingers spread wide to make it easy to read.

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Kakashi figured whoever came up with that knowledge for breakfast must have been a know it all. And the truth of it all was that Kakashi was indeed seeing eight fingers.

He grouched to himself, for the first time not feeling ecstatic to read Icha Icha. He had counted on his fingers, the simplicity of it all making it easier to understand and harder to discourage, that eight fingers meant eight chapters, and eight chapters meant eight days.

Eight days with the possibility of more Sakura induced day dreams. Well, seven more days, he amended mentally. He had already read the first chapter yesterday and throughout the entire night and early morn.

He'd read it over and over again until he had finally noticed the Saturday morning gleam.

Today was also the first day Kakashi had ever considered his little OCD thing a major pain in the ass. From the first Icha book he had ever read, Kakashi only read one chapter a day and re-read the very same chapter again until midnight of the next morning. He found one chapter a day meant a longer read and by the time the book was finished, Kakashi knew the book inside and out down to every last detail. It had its perks.

Last night however, Kakashi had been too involved in the first chapter to notice when Saturday had started and he was free to begin the second chapter.

He would see Sakura bent around him after training, and wonder if it was the real deal, or what his imagination worked up over the book.

Which Sakura was real?

Of course his Sakura was the real Sakura, Kakashi realized, but what Sakura was he lusting after?

He couldn't be thinking of his student that way, or even his team-mate. But why would he have all these animalistic urges for a fictional character in a book? He had never tripped-stupid over an imaginative character before, even if they were sexy as hell and drawn so beguilingly.

The pure torture of the concept hurt his head. He couldn't seem to keep the differences of the two Sakuras separate even though Kakashi knew they were indeed, two different people. Well, one wasn't even a person; she was an idea in a book. But how could he be attracted to an idea?

Kakashi sighed and let his head fall into his pillow. It should have been simple enough not to get real flesh get mixed up with paper and ink. And if it wasn't, then Kakashi should be able to tell the difference. He wasn't mentally impaired, last time he checked. He still had a good head on his shoulders and knew what was what.

Why was he having such a problem then?

He let himself come up for air from his pillow and set his dirty red book on his shelf. Kakashi examined the front cover with consideration and set his chin on his curled fist. The picture of the pink haired ninja lifting a slender finger to a man whom you only saw from behind.

She was teasing him, Kakashi guessed. Which wasn't too much different from seduction if you thought about it. The problem was why Kakashi could see Sakura, his living Sakura, so clearly on that cover? The drawing was slightly abstract, but he could see the curve of the nose, were it tapered off into a slight point. The soft lips with the full bottom plump. Kakashi could even make out the uniquely green of her eyes.

"That's it!" Kakashi flung the pillow against the wall and pointed an accusing finger at the red book. "Shut up you little instigator. You're not going to confuse me like that." He yelled at his book like it was responsible for his confusion. He ignored the stupidity of his actions for venting his frustrations in a hunching huff.

It was the books fault anyways; Kakashi accused as he crossed his arms and sulked. It kept reminding him of his Sakura, then making him think dirty thoughts.

He had to stop it. He had to stop thinking of the resemblances. If he didn't, then Kakashi would go crazy. He was half way there with the talking to the book and all.

Sakura was his student and team mate. One of his friends for crying out loud. Kakashi couldn't allow himself to start thinking of her in such a perverse way.

Kakashi made himself calm down and take a few deep breathes. He wasn't too far gone yet, all he had to do was take some time off and situate things. Even though it was Saturday morning and he could technically start reading the second chapter, Kakashi set the book back on the shelf for later in the day. He needed some space.

He would walk around the village, talk to some people, do meaningless things, Kakashi would do what ever he could for awhile so he could take the time and regain his control.

When he was back in control, then the issue between the book and Sakura could be fixed.

Kakashi had to believe it as he left his apartment.

**XxX**

She had woken up early the next morning even before the light blue of the sky brightened.

The first thing she did was laugh hysterically and roll around on her bed.

Sakura had dreamed of him, her tall silver haired ninja, Kakashi. He had been hers and willfully taken her to highs never before touched. Her skin still tingled whenever her sheets slipped across her legs.

She couldn't wait to begin her day. If things went as she wanted, then Sakura would get a chance to know more about Kakashi. The little chat would help their bond and maybe let Kakashi forget their roles together.

Sakura was tired of being just a friend and team mate. She was ready to be a lover too.

Sakura hopped out of bed and started to ready for the day. She hummed in the shower and sang while she changed. She smiled continuously and thought only of her Kakashi.

Her Kakashi, she thought with a dreamy, dopey smile.

There was just something about the older man Sakura had never felt for Naruto or Neji. It was even more than what she felt for the other man. A man she couldn't bare to think about, not just Sasuke. But Kakashi, the thought of him had her heart flying and a smile instantly breaking her face into a happy glow. There was a chance with him, unlike the other four.

And she didn't know why.

When she was ready, Sakura left her apartment and raced across the roof tops to Tsunade's office, where the Hokage would be waiting for her. Hopefully sober but not likely.

There were very few people up on a Saturday morning, but some one had to open the shops and ready the foods. The sky was still dark and the air still cool so soon after dawn.

Among the few moving bodies, Sakura noticed a light on in a top floor apartment. Kakashi's window. Odd, Sakura made sure to pass by Kakashi's apartment every day and she never saw a light on in his room… or a pillow fly by it.

What the hell?

Out of curiosity, Sakura jumped over to his roof and hid her chakra. She slid down to his window sill and peaked over the side, careful not to let him notice her.

It paid to be a good ninja, Sakura thought happily as she watched her ex-sensei and soon to be lover huff on his bed as he glared at a red book. Sakura almost fell off the edge as Kakashi pointed and screamed like an angry child at it.

Sakura had to jump away so she could laugh at a gut busting ferocity. Just the idea of Kakashi doing such a thing pleased Sakura to no end. Mostly because she knew it wasn't only the book that had the man so frustrated.

Kakashi, yelling at a book, it was just too much.

She was laughing still when she finally made it to the Hokage's office. It was close to twenty minutes before she could tell the older woman what she saw. When she did, both women were laughing as they dance around the office room in joyous triumph.

**XxX**

His usual walking speed was lessened by half, steps were taken with less width between them than is considered even walking and Kakashi didn't let it bother him that a frail old lady was prodding him with a stick so she could practically shoot past him.

He was going the pace of an old man with a dinky walker and Kakashi was ok with that. That extra time spent dragging his feet allowed him to have more time to think. To get a handle on things, his mind mostly.

That time had paid off by the time he was on his way home, close to one in the afternoon. It had been an epiphany given to him by a dumpling. The answers to all his worries, or his one pinky worry so to speak were solved by the miracle of good food.

Kakashi had taken a seat on a low brick wall by the park with three hot dumplings. His favorite. He had spent all day walking and wondering about the two pink haired ninja and had found no way in solving the dilemma. But the minute he let the thoughts rest and sat to enjoy his food, the answer came to him like a fist to his lone eye.

It was so obvious!

He had been seeing them as the same Sakura, not a character and person. And the imagery was just as simple. He kept seeing both of them as a hot piece of ninja.

Solution? Visualize the character Sakura as solid lines and colors. See her as a drawn picture. And the fleshy Sakura? Think of her as the little girl she used to be and not at all like an attractively hot female.

Kakashi finished his dumplings off with a wide hidden grin. He wasn't considered a genius for nothing and he was quite proud of himself. It was so easy!

He was regaining control of himself. And by the time he saw the 'little girl' again, Kakashi figured the incident the other day would be forgotten and possibly rectified. Sakura was probably a little freaked out by it all too. She had seemed a little withdrawn and mentally occupied as he walked her home. But then again, he hadn't been all that focused either.

Maybe she knew?

Not likely, he hoped.

Kakashi was the fastest pair of feet on the street as he made his way back to his place. He even passed the granny with the stick and barley refrained from sticking his tongue out. Not like she'd see it any ways.

He couldn't wait to start chapter two. He could innocently read his romance-smut without mixing up real life and fantasy now. Kakashi was ecstatic for the first time since he found the book on his doorstep.

It was a good day.

**XxX**

It was a good day, Sakura perked. She had a wad of cash in her pocket thanks to Tsunade, a good looking future, and a good lookin ass in her sights.

The only downside of that sexy ass was the fact the man whom it was attached to was walking as slow as a limped turtle. His head was tipped back, eye closed, hands in pockets, and sandaled feet less than shuffling across the gravel and brick of the streets.

It was very hard to follow someone who didn't walk but creeped every where. It was boring and seemed pointless. When he went somewhere, she followed; only it was boring compared to an enemy ninja. That was easy. Kakashi was difficult.

And Sakura admitted to herself and any one who wanted to ask that she was indeed, stalking the silver headed ninja. It was so easy it was hard, but Sakura never let him out of her sights. She had done it many times before but this was not just observation anymore. It was a stake out. The minute he ran off to be alone, she was going to pop up and drive him crazy. Yesterday was word play. Today was sweet innocence.

She had to keep him on his toes. If she let him alone to think and clear his head, he might figure her plan out. It was obvious to any one else. The book store manager had given her a look and grinned. Yeah, he knew. He probably finished it in one night.

But that's why Sakura had to push at the man every day. Not only because he reads a chapter a day- a little info she had found out by accident- but because the man is smart enough to figure any little ploy out if given enough time. So she had to fiddle with his conscience and rational thought. Pull his ear and pinch his arm. Keep his attention on her the way she wanted.

As a sexy, available woman who will do more than sit on his back in training. She would sit in more than one place for him.

Sakura snorted into her hand with images of straddling the tall man. The things she thought of. She shook her head in mild shame.

Sakura jumped behind a tree in the park and watched Kakashi intently. He liked dumplings. It was one of the first things he freely told her and one of the few things too. That didn't bother her though. She was determined to find out everything about him.

All she had to do was get him at the right time. Kakashi eating dumplings and shivering in pleasure was not the right time. And it was making her hungry any ways.

Sakura gathered her chakra and transported out of the park and a good distance away from Kakashi. The best time to ambush him was when he was alone and vulnerable. She kicked up onto the roofs and headed back to his apartment and hid by an adjoining building. When he came back for his book and left to be alone, that was the time to strike.

In chapter two, "Sakura" follows him to a secluded glade out in the forest. She couldn't be that obvious though as to follow the book completely. Kakashi would most likely head to the old training field. No one really went there anymore so she and Kakashi would be alone. It was kind of like an open glade so it would go along with the book well enough.

She ducked behind the low wall as Kakashi blurred past her and into his building. She caught her breath as the surprise wore off. He sure caught up to her fast enough. He must have been in one hell of a hurry to catch up with her that fast.

It had only been what…three minutes?

Kakashi was jumping out of his window almost an instant after he entered. He was a black and green blur across the roofs as he flew towards the edge of the village until he disappeared into the foliage.

She couldn't move. Shock and excitement crashed against her noggin as her prey took off.

That, Sakura mused, was unexpected. Today was just full of surprising events, wasn't it?

With an accomplished grin set on her lips, Sakura leaned back against the wall and took her time and waited. This was the moment to enjoy the game and prep for the next run. Kakashi was going to lose to her; he had no chance in fighting it with the guns she had loaded. She was one step ahead of him, and what ever move he made, she had a counter attack.

Kakashi was fucked.

**XxX**

The tree was the most comfortable tree there ever was. The fat branch was twenty-some feet high and surrounded by leaves making it almost impossible for anyone on the outside to find. Against the trunk was a slight groove where an ass could fit comfortably and the back could lean just right, back on smooth bark.

He was in heaven, Kakashi sighed almost napping. In his excitement of overcoming temptation, Kakashi had found himself quickly finishing the second chapter in less than half an hour.

But then he relaxed against his favorite tree and found his contempt slowly easing him to sleep. He let himself daydream, unconsciously recalling what he had just read.

He had read the book in peace, never once mixing up the identities of the two women. He had been so proud of himself!

Yay for dumplings.

Kakashi smiled through his mask as he dreamed of his Icha Icha book. The character Sakura was very much a seductress.

Slowly, Kakashi drifted deeper into sleep and experienced the most lucidly real dream he had ever had.

_Sensei sneaked away from the village and everything, needing just a few hours to himself. Maybe he could take a nap, or mull over his suddenly charming and very attractive ex-student._

_He didn't get any sleep the night before because of her. _

_He escaped into the woods and no one saw him. He wanted to be alone. In the forest away from the village, there was a small glade that he liked to go to and hide out at. The largest tree had a nice little hiding spot that was comfortable and well hidden. _

_Sensei went to that tree. _

_The sky was impossibly blue with racing clouds that reflected their shadows like thick bars across the grassy glade. The wind was mild, strong enough to rock the branches about but soft enough to lull him to a light dose._

_And then he thought about her. Sakura. But not just thought of her, felt her as well. _

_The light spring of familiar chakra woke Sensei up and he sat strait, ready to take off if she found him. _

_A few seconds later, the kunoichi sprang through the trees and landed with a laughing huff. She didn't even look around to see if any one was there. _

_Sensei had to wonder if she was searching for him, or had come to the secret spot for the same reasons as he had. _

_He leaned back as Sakura dropped her shoulder bag and dropped to the ground to lie on her stomach. She pulled out some large, intimidating looking scrolls and opened the largest one intending to read it. _

_He ignored her, or tried to any ways. Her very presence was distracting and Sensei couldn't help but watch her intently. _

_Then the wind picked up some speed, and Sensei's eyes bulged as he leaned to the side to watch it flash interesting black shorts. The clouds shot across the sky and their shadows produced hypnotizing dark and light flying stripes across her figure and the grassy slope she lay on. _

And Kakashi realized, faintly, that he could actually feel someone's chakra. Slowly, his lucidness became consciousness as his one eye drifted open. The chakra became more pronounced as he tried to focus on waking.

And his sight trained on a red, short kimono clad figure of Sakura, already lounging in the grass.

He had to still be dreaming, he demanded. Otherwise he'd flip out.

Just like the book, the sense of her chakra had woken him up. She was even lying on her stomach reviewing some very large scrolls. The only difference was that it was a very cloudless day and the wind wasn't very strong.

Sakura looked exactly as he dreamed she'd look.

It was scary that he realized he had dreamed of her at all. He was so sure he'd cut all resemblances to each other. Sadly, his mind still wanted to picture his own student as the role of seductress.

She was relaxed on the grassy hill. It was no glade, but only a small hill where trees refused to grew deep in the forest. The location didn't relax him though, from comparing it to the first chapter. The last time, things didn't happen exactly by the book either.

Kakashi stiffened as he thought of something. Was he getting real life and fantasy mixed up again? Was he so desperate for the younger woman that he was trying to connect reality to a flippin book? Was he trying to see himself in writing?

The insanity snuck up on him and Kakashi didn't realize he was staring at the female figure. The questions zipped through his head to fast to focus on them, but one thing was popping up again and again.

Why did everything happen like in the book? What was the connection between Sakura and Icha? Some thing wasn't right.

Kakashi tried to figure it out and piece everything together, but before he could come to any conclusion, his mind was shot clean through with an astounding vision.

Every thing was forgotten as a stronger gust of wind shot under the hem of her kimono and flipped it up and about, revealing the black, sexy shorts he had seen to many times.

It all came to him then. The psychedelic shadows streaking across her figure, the wind playing with her hair and kimono like a lover's fingers.

_She kicked her legs about in leisure, completely ignoring her flashing undershorts._

Yes, Kakashi thought, he imagined her kicking her legs playfully, each movement revealing a small amount of strong legs and rounded butt.

_Sensei leaned to the side, straddling the tree so he could see past the thick leaves. _

Kakashi leaned as well, trying to get a good look up her gently flapping skirt. His mind was replaying the chapter and Kakashi didn't seem to notice. It was perfect visualization and he was entranced.

_He was in a trance, watching every movement and leaning more over the side as he ached to be near her. _

Kakashi tipped further other the branch, his body following his mind's eye. He was only slightly surprised but even more amazed as she pushed herself up to her hands and knees and stretched in a purely feline way.

_A hand left the branch, holding him in his place, to reach out to her figure as if to grasp her. Without his grip, Sensei barley noticed as his body weight was pulled off the branch and towards the hard ground. _

His hand let go of the tree as he thought of it. He saw everything go lopsided, but that was ok, he was just falling…

When he felt himself jerk down all of a sudden, Kakashi tried to catch his balance with his chakra but the twenty foot drop was short and he had no time to react.

_The leaves shook as he toppled through them, alerting Sakura of another presence. Jumping on instinct, she threw a well aimed kunai in his direction hitting the ankle of his pants and pinning him to a tree. _

Kakashi gave a startling yelp as he fell with nothing under him but earth. Sakura heard him and jumped up in fright, but she was too startled to throw a saving weapon at him.

He hit the ground with a dumping thud.

"_Look what I caught. Now, what am I going to do with you?" Her hands were on her hips with a cocky smirk turning her lips up. _

His body was thrumming with intense pain, and he wished he was upside down instead of a heap of twisted agony. Even a smirking Sakura was better then his present humiliating situation.

And then Sakura was upon him, turning his body over checking him for injuries.

"What the hell happened?" she shrieked and pulled him to sit against the tree he had fallen out of. "Why did you fall out of the tree?" Her eyes were worried and she looked frightened and slightly disturbed.

He'd rather take the smirk than the frown. "It was the ants," He murmured in a conking funk, making an excuse for his dramatic entrance. The kunoichi gave him a considering glance but dismissed it for searching for broken bones.

Sakura looked him over critically, careful not to stress his body incase of any severe injury. She hadn't expected him to actually fall out of the tree. Well, not fall to the ground. He was only supposed to tip over a bit, maybe make some noise to 'alert' her of his presence.

But the man had crashed like an idiot to the ground, scaring her as his form stilled upon impact. He hadn't fought it till it was too late, and it could have killed him.

Luckily, Sakura sighed to herself, Kakashi was strong, and the twenty foot drop had knocked the air out of him and caused some bad swelling with sore bones. His head was jarred quite a bit, but sitting still and clearing his mind would help with that.

Sakura ran her hands across his sore and swelling body, calming the aches and defusing the inflammations with her chakra. Kakashi didn't say anything again and she didn't ask.

She knew what had happened.

Funny thing though, Sakura didn't expect the Copy Nin to fall for her quite like that.

**XxX**

She watched her slightly dazed patient as he held an ice pack to his head. He hadn't moved from the tree, still not sure if he could even move if he wanted to.

"So," Sakura started to ask. "What were you doing up in the tree?" Not that she didn't know, but Kakashi didn't.

"Sleeping," he replied softly, wincing as it made his head pound just a bit more.

"You've slept in trees before and never fell out. What happened this time?" she asked slyly.

He almost couldn't think of anything. Of course, the lame answer wasn't any better than the truth. "An ant bit me and I jerked awake. Didn't I say that a moment ago?"

She smiled, knowing he'd lie somehow, but an ant bite was just pitiful. Worse then his late excuses. "Right…You know you shouldn't lie to me, Kakashi."

"Who said I was lying?" he sniffed and stuck his nose up. Sakura just snorted at him, amused by his innocent charade.

"Then what are you to say when I tell you that the tree's bark is too tuff for ant's to live in and its leaves aren't on their diets?"

"I'd say it was a rogue little pest." His eye creased and Sakura knew he was purposely bull shitting her. He had a talent for throwing people off the scent and changing subjects far too easily.

Sakura though, was used to it after so many years with him.

"Fine," she growled at him, keeping face and acting like she normally would. "I'll give you another ten minutes and then you can get up."

"Fine." He conceded with an exaggerated snooty sniff.

The older man figured he'd hit his head a little too hard. Lying next to Sakura was a lot more comfortable than he'd thought it'd be. No more than five minutes before he was bug-eyed and drooling over her, and now the temptation and lusty visuals just weren't there.

It was like her presence was toned down and he could relax with her and enjoy the moment.

What was the difference?

He didn't know.

Sakura smiled to herself as Kakashi sat back and let the tension ease from his body. She followed suit, setting her arms behind her head and leaning against the tree next to him.

The breeze soothed her. Being there next to him, everything seemed so perfect.

This was so much better than her original plan. She sighed to herself. "This is great. I'm really glad how this all turned out."

Kakashi opened his eye. "Turned out? What, did you plan this or something?" He asked playfully. Sakura laughed off his suspicions, albeit to loudly.

"No, of course not." She lightly slapped his shoulder. "I had nothing to do today but study and relax by myself. I like you're little crash detour better."

"Maybe I should have twisted there at the end; made a funny joke about gravity and being to slim and finely shaped to escape a nonresistant fall." Kakashi replied flippantly while jutting his hip slightly.

She snorted into her hand and flicked his head. "You, funny…right. I think it's just top heavy. Fat head and all.

"My head is not fat, just full of knowledge, which is power."

"Ya, power to pound a crater into hard dirt."

"And I only needed a few minutes to recuperate from the blow." Happy eye creased.

"I think you're body has adjusted to better fit your nimrodic lifestyle. Adaptation and preparation for future mind threatening attacks."

"Nimrodic?" He inquired.

"My own word. I was trying to find a word to sum up Naruto, but it works for you and other pathetic men."

"Well, thanks, I guess."

"Sure!" She smiled innocently, but they both knew it was a joke.

It was something new, the bantering and playful arguing. Sakura had never experienced Kakashi like she was in that moment even though it was still reserved and grounded, it was still the best time she'd ever had with him.

It was something she could get used to, and Kakashi, as he relaxed and enjoyed the company, was thinking the same thing. There was an understanding between them. They hadn't meant to throw sarcastic barbs at one another, but had just felt so comfortable with the company that they let go, was able to be themselves.

The start of a closer friendship.

"This," Sakura sighed and leaned shoulder to shoulder with the older man. "is great."

"Sure," He returned her innocent smile and Sakura slapped him on the shoulder with an indignant 'hey'.

Kakashi was just enjoying the respite from ornery thoughts and wants. Being with Sakura actually made her bearable. Maybe if he just spent more time with her, then he wouldn't go crazy thinking about her.

That thought was shot when Sakura suddenly laid her head on his shoulder and the space between them lessened. So much for his dumpling epiphany.

Maybe it would be best to fake amnesia?

**XxX**

**-Gasps- I'm alive! And I'm still writing!**

**Sorry for the flippin long wait. It's something called working to much, no inspiration, sick, no inspiration, lazy, rewriting, the story sucking, no computer, no internet, no time, to much work, lazy, and I'm an excuse queen so I can go on and on. But the biggest excuse is…**

**While I had computer time, I spent it having an affair. With two sexy men. Neji and Gaara. I don't consider this affair a bad thing, but then my dear Kakashi misses out. I hope I can make it up to him. **

**Hope this chapter is good enough for you all. After almost four days of no sleep and only writing, what I had produced was some crazy shit. I had to tone it down and by the time I was done, well…a lot came up. I think most of that shit can go into a separately related story box. Its really just delirious humorous bullshitiness. But I like it. Also, Next chapter has more characters. Not just Sakura and Kakashi.**

**To my reviewers. Thank you so damned much. Every last one of you made me so happy. When I was unsure about were I was going and whether or not to continue, all I had to do was re-read all of them and feel hysterically hyper. I could feel the enthusiasm in every word. I wish I could personally respond to everyone, but the new FFNet rule bans me from doing it. So all I can do is give you a paragraph of teary, sappy, grateful thanks. Oh how I loved everyone's words. **

**Ok, I'm done with the funk. I've just never had that many reviews for one chapter. Well, hopefully the next chapter won't take that long. There shouldn't be more than ten chapters in all. But, my life is hectic right now. I'm finding sleep to be a thing of the past. Oh, I remember a month ago…**

**Well, catch ya laters. Hope you liked it. **

**Ymir-chan**


	3. Chapter Three: Undeniable Passion

**Icha Icha Seduction**

Disclaimer: Some one once warned me about theives having thier hands cut off. Well, I don't trust any one with sharp objects, so I'm not going to lie...I'm to lazy to get out of bed, how the hell can I own anything other than what my mommy gave me? Some one else owns these things I play with.

Oi, I haven't been around lately. If this seems a bit crappy, it's cus I have to use wordpad. Damn new computer don't have microsoft word. It sucks majorly.

_Italics in this chapter are flashbacks. Sadly, there is no Icha in this one, but is referenced. _

Warnings::: This is an M rated story. Though it's mild right now, it will get a bit naughty later on, though I will make it tasteful and not some sleazy crap. Plus, there is minor hints to abusing content. Just...be sure you younger kids know what you're getting into.

**XxX**

Chapter Three

Undeniable Passion

And he was fucked. Some where in the last two days, going on three, everything had been blown up, tossed up, rolled away, flipped off, and completely screwed. It was all about her now. Every thought and want. Every motion and step. What ever happened, it was because of her.

It was her fault. (-Cha!-)

Kakashi tried as hard as he could to get his mind off Sakura that night after leaving her at the edge of the forest. He couldn't even walk her home because he didn't think he could stand to be so near her and not do anything stupid. He had honed in on her chakra signature all day though, making sure nothing bad happened. Then he realized why he was really keeping track of her.

Only three days and he was constantly thinking of her, obsessing over her. It was nuts!

There was that need to be near her, think of her, to want her. Kakashi immediately cut their connection and stopped walking to mentally scold himself. He had just left the woman! There was no reason for him to act like he was. Sakura shouldn't be anything to him, let alone on his mind like a lover on a raised podium.

She should be on equal levels as Naruto and peanut butter. Fun, but shouldn't be had in excess. Especially Naruto.

He had to do something else, more productive then mentally stalking the kunoichi and something to take his mind off her.

Like…sleeping.

But, as Kakashi reached his home and snuggled into his bed for the night, the minute his eyes closed Sakura expanded his imagination.

He jerked awake, pissed that Sakura would invade his sleep when the last night she had consumed his every waking moment. Or well, Sakura and Icha had kept him awake all that night.

Icha…Jiraiya, Kakashi thought in consideration. If there was one other person to blame, it was the old Sannin. There was something going on and he was betting Jiraiya had a part in it. Kakashi was going to have a nice perv to perv talk tomorrow and get to the bottom of things. He had his suspicions, but something always averted his attention. This time, Kakashi would figure it out.

That night was spent with Kakashi trying to invent new and unusual ways of torture while battling images of the little seductress. He even refused to pull the book out from his pillow so not to get any other ideas. Chapter three would have to wait.

It was the second night Kakashi spent with no sleep.

**XxX**

The seductress was on an actual mission instead of just saying she was like she had planned. Tsunade had said if she was going to follow through with her plans, then she had to take a real mission, not just leave the village for a while, ruffle herself up and slink back to be with the older Jounin.

And the mission sucked.

Six little hellions and an over worked mother with the flu all the way in Wind.

Just great. Not even halfway there and Sakura was already covered in light dust and her hair was in disarray.

Luckily, though, she wasn't alone. Unluckily, she was traveling with Neji as extra backup, not that she needed it but it was mandatory.

The long four hour trek was going to be very quiet. But not boring, she mused.

With the silence and time to think, what better to pass the time than to reminisce? Kakashi was all she could focus on lately, but her past lovers suddenly came to mind and what she had to go through to get to where she was now.

And it started with a young love.

Sasuke.

She smiled sadly to herself. She still loved the grown man, but after years of unrequited love and an absent Uchiha, Sakura had no choice but to change. The love she had was still strong, but on the level of best friend, team mate, dear and close brother.

Like Naruto, only without the affair.

She still remembered the day he had come back. Sakura had been nervous and shifty, but she wanted to see the lost nin for so long. She was sixteen, and at that time was scared to see how the years had changed her once love. Scared to tell him that the romance was gone and something that could be misinterpreted as less than was in its place.

In her opinion, the extent of her feelings for her two boys encompasses any level of romance. Nothing could break their bonds.

But Sakura almost lost him. She had avoided Sasuke for three days after his return. He didn't search her out, but she knew he had wanted to see her. Naruto said he had. And then, when she had dredged up the guts to see him, it almost shattered.

"_Sasuke," She looked at her feet and felt like she was twelve again. She took a breath and met his stare with a genuine but slightly nervous smile. "I'm glad you're back. We missed you." She had said 'we' to keep a bit of distance between them. It wasn't only about her now. _

_He wasn't her only reason for living any more. He had left her, giving her time to see everyone else. To see more than him. _

"_Sakura," He nodded at her. His eyes were smaller, darker. He was taller and fit to look more like a grown man. Still as handsome though. His voice caught for a second, uncertain on what to say. "You're looking good. Naruto filled me in a bit on…stuff."_

_Sasuke looked at her hands, the gloves that covered her calloused hands and hardened knuckles. Sakura was stronger, and proud of it. He looked away. _

"_Ya, I've learned a thing or two. Things…happen when someone's gone." _

_He had cringed a bit, more like squish his eyes for an instant before schooling his features blank. With his hands in his pockets and his head turned away, Sakura couldn't help but feel relieved and irritated. Sasuke was still himself and he was still ignoring her. _

_Sasuke…ignoring her. It hurt more then it used to. It wasn't supposed to be like this, an awkward exchange of words then the ringing silence. Sakura didn't want their reunion to suck. She clenched her fists, anger flaring out in her chakra as she glared at the quiet man in front of her. _

_How could he? How could he leave like he did, fight with all her friends and make her cry? How can he think to do what he did and come back and act like this? Sakura wasn't about to put up with his bullshit. _

_For a moment, she had forgotten the fact that her anger made her reckless, and that fury was pumping chakra into her arm alarmingly. Without even noticing her sudden inhuman strength, Sakura lifted her fist, pulled back, and threw her whole body into a raging, tearful punch. _

_Sasuke was surprised to feel the amount of chakra she admitted, but the surprise turned to out right shock as she threw a killer blow at him. He couldn't react fast enough to dodge it, but let his chakra secure him to the ground and brace for a brutal impact. Only his skills as a ninja were able to keep his feet grounded, but the all out force had shoved him back, skidding at least ten feet. _

_He cupped his face feeling his cheek bone explode in pain and his jaw crack and crunch. It took a few shakes to clear his sight from the stars and spots. But Sasuke was mostly stunned. _

_Sakura had actually hit him. Practically broke his face! He couldn't find the anger that should have been there. He had never thought she could ever hit him, or yell like she looked like she was going to. _

_She heaved, catching her breath and calming her chakra. She looked at Sasuke, surprised at herself for hitting him. But, he deserved it. He had it coming for four years, damnit!_

"_You, Sasuke Uchiha, will not snub me like that, not again. You had done it for years and I will not tolerate it any longer." That, Sakura thought, felt good. She had to keep going, wanted to give him a piece of her mind. He wasn't going to think she could be walked all over again. That's not what friends do. _

"_Listen to me, if you ever try to kill Naruto, if you ever try to leave us, and if you ever again do something stupid to destroy our family, I swear I will break more than your face." She poked a hard pointed finger into the stunned man's chest as she told him what. Her tears leaked down her cheeks, but they were angry. "Do you hear me?" Sakura finished with a shove of her finger. _

_  
He could only shake his head, jerking it back and forth. Sasuke was a little to stunned…and just a bit frightened to do anything else. Sakura took a breath and sighed, catching her tears on her fingers. She took a step closer and Sasuke moved back, scared what she would do next. He wasn't ready when she threw herself against him and hugged his neck, squeezing the life from his throat. _

"_We missed you, Sasuke." She kissed his cheek, Sasuke's first kiss. Well, second next to Naruto's, but that didn't count. He didn't miss the 'we' part or the fact that the kiss was soft, and not meant to be romantic. _

_It was like a kiss of welcome, or a dear, sweet kiss of a sister. _

_She dangled from his shoulders and Sasuke let his arms hang by his sides, afraid to embrace her or shove her off. He felt warmed but didn't know how to respond. "You're forgiven, you know. You, Naruto and Kakashi are my boys so please, don't break it again. Please, Sasuke"_

_Her boys, her family, she had said, and Sasuke realized something. Sakura loved him like family, a brother. But, like his own brother had torn his family apart, Sasuke had done the same to theirs. _

_He gently wrapped his arms around her waist, dropping his head to her shoulder in guilt. He had done the same thing that had ruined his own life. But they had forgiven him, something he could never have done. _

"_Thank you," he murmured. He felt her stiffen against him and cursed his choice of words. But this time, he meant them genuinely, with his heart. "I really mean it, Sakura. I'm home" He held her tighter against him, proving to her that he meant no ill will this time. He could never apologize, because all in all, he didn't regret the strength he acquired and the revenge had. The only thing he could ever be ashamed of was hurting the people who loved him. But things were ok now, and could get better. Sakura forgave him and so did Naruto. They are the ones that mattered to him._

_She pulled away smiling, putting a hand against his broken cheek and slowly healing the damage she caused earlier. Sasuke loved the feeling of her chakra soothing his pain. It was over to soon in his opinion. _

"_There's one more thing I have to say before the moment's lost. That night when I told you I loved you…" _

"_I know, Sakura. I can see it; you don't love me any more." Sasuke interrupted her and set her back on her feet. She sighed and thumped his shoulder._

"_Stupid, of course I still love you. Friend, team mate and brother, that love is more solid than anything else. You are one of my important persons." Sakura smiled and Sasuke couldn't help but love how it made her eyes illuminate and her face glow. She was beautiful. _

_When she was younger, Sakura seemed so fake. The way she acted around him was like she was trying to hard and not being herself. Now, Sasuke enjoyed the real Sakura, the one who was beautiful and feisty, loving and abusive. _

_He mentally smacked himself. If only he knew then how she'd turn out, then maybe he could have her now. At least she's not completely lost to him. Being her friend sounded better. To have lived so long without any, Sasuke was glad to have her as one of his best friends. _

_But he still had to wonder… "What made you end it?" _

_Her smile dropped a bit and turned forlorn. "You were gone and I was all alone. I felt like I had nothing and hated it. So I worked on getting stronger for myself. I tried to love you for as long as I could, but in the end, I couldn't take the pain. I spent years chasing you and all I had from it was a thank you and rejection. I couldn't keep deluding myself. _

"_But I didn't stop loving you. Never." She kissed him on the cheek again after seeing his disappointed look. "Come on, Sasuke-kun. Let's go find the other two boys and have a reunion party. How's ramen sound?" She held out her hand, smirking as he hesitated in taking it. Their fingers touched and linked. _

"_Just this once," He agreed. Actually, ramen sounded great, and her hand in his was warm and calming. _

_Sakura didn't miss the small grin he didn't try to hide._

That was just one love and loss. Sakura's first and most painful love experience.

But what she hadn't told Sasuke, and promised Naruto never to tell, was that his cruel treatment and her bitter disposition after he left, left her feeling cold and unloved.

She felt ruined. The love between a man and woman was a confusing and painful concept for her, one she had trouble believing in or trying to understand. It just seem worthless. She felt incapable of producing any amount of love beyond her comfort level of unconditional friendship, platonic and family love.

Not all ninja could be as lucky as Naruto though. He and Hinata had found something special. Sakura thought it might be love, but she wouldn't know if it was or not. It was more than what she could ever hope to find.

But Naruto also had the ability to love everyone with such a simple ease. Sakura was jealous of the blonde shinobi at one point. He had come a long way from the nothing-terror he was as a gennin. Naruto was able to gain immense strength, a known name, and devoted friends and alliances where ever he went. He treated everyone like he had always wanted to be treated; instant smiles and welcomes, forgivable acceptance, no matter who he met.

Sakura wished she could have that compatibility with people like Naruto did. Sadly, Sakura always got the pitiful glances, the brush-offs and the childish taunts.

Because of how everyone looked at her, Sakura vowed to become stronger, for her self-respect and pride.

Because Naruto had everything she had ever craved, Sakura wanted something more of her friend. Naruto was like a universal friend. People of all types loved him and wanted to be with him. Ninja of the hardest hearts respected him and could stay comfortable in his presence.

He was warm, exciting and approachable. It made a person feel as if Naruto was the happiest man alive, and he freely shared it with others.

When Sakura noticed his magnetizing character, she had been sixteen, almost seventeen, and feeling the loneliness and withdrawn bitterness of a loveless life after Sasuke's return. Just like all the other sorry saps that are drawn like starving worms to his electricity, Sakura found herself wanting something more than her cold stoned soul. She wanted to curl into Naruto's warmth and let it rock her in peace.

She was shamelessly drawn to her closest friend as the craving for something more than her lackluster outlook drove her to take the first step.

_It was always better when she was beside Naruto. She felt more like her old self, before Sasuke left. She smiled with genuine joy, laughed out loud and conversed with enthusiasm. Even if her lost love was there, Sakura only had to be near Naruto's intensity to feel better. _

_She had tried, of course, to withdraw from the comfort and desire she felt towards her best friend, but after a time of loneliness and feeling sorry for herself, Naruto was a delicious temptation. _

_Sakura didn't love him, not like she once loved a certain someone, but that didn't mean she didn't love him in another way or care for him with all her heart. She wanted to be with Naruto without actually 'being' with him. She couldn't do a relationship so soon after Sasuke, not while she considered a romantic love a painful memory. _

_What would Naruto think if he knew she wanted him? Not that she knew specifically what the want was. Sakura just obsessed over being near him, wanting him to fill the emptiness that pulled at her constantly. Naruto would do anything for her, she knew. But how far would he go to make her happy, even if Sakura didn't know what to give him in return?_

"_Naruto?" She called to him, pleadingly, pathetically. He had turned to her with open arms and a caring smile. "Can I…is it ok?" And fuck the uncertainty she felt as she asked him to help her. She knew why she wanted Naruto, she just didn't know if it was the right thing or fair. Was it ok to want strength and comfort unconditionally?_

_As it turned out, Naruto didn't mind holding her. He didn't mind her coming to him at night and keeping it to themselves, telling only a few select individuals._

_Ino called it friends with benefits. Naruto didn't mind committing to a beneficial affair while maintaining their unbreakable friendship. He never complained or objected to anything she wanted. _

_Sakura thought it was because he had loved her. _

_Naruto smiled when she asked him and he replied that he loved and cared for her, yes, but understood what she wanted and needed. He put her first before any one else because Sakura was his most important friend. _

_If only Sakura knew what she wanted. _

_She lost her virginity to him and didn't regret it. She wasn't quit seventeen yet and it was worth the wait. Sakura considered herself lucky that her first time was to Naruto and not some one whom she didn't care for. Some kunoichi weren't lucky enough to experience such a basic human connection of their own free will with a partner of their choice. _

_In Sakura's opinion, Naruto was the only person who could touch her like he did with such understanding and delicate care and still stir her body to an intense inferno. She had never felt so alive and euphoric. Then, as they collapsed in exhaustion, Naruto had held her curled against his front knowing that Sakura was emotionally dependent on him. Sharing off his strength and confidence._

_She curled to hold it all in just a little bit longer. To hold the familiarity and comfort inside and safe from outside realities._

_Being with Naruto, it felt like stuffing cotton into the gloom and self-pity that followed up on every pleasant moment Sakura could get. It padded the sadness, making everything bearable and easier to deal with. Not that she ever complained or bitched about the shit in life, but she took advantage of momentary happiness. _

_She had been with Naruto for about three months and every moment was the best Sakura had ever had. She didn't know how long it could have lasted. The affair was so perfect and fulfilling, to both Sakura and Naruto, that it could have never ended. But Sakura knew it was time to end it when Hinata approached her, asking for help in getting Naruto's attention. _

_Sakura couldn't love Naruto like Hinata did and if there was a chance for two people to find the happiness and love most people search for, then she couldn't be greedy._

"_Hinata likes you." She had said._

"_Yeah," Naruto blushed and scratched his head. "I've sorta noticed her too." Seeing Naruto's reaction convinced her to let him go. She watched them grow closer and create such a sweet love. Their friendship was never compromised from the affair, but there were moments when Sakura missed the cotton comfort. _

_The time they had together was healing to Sakura. Even when Naruto moved on, she could still feel the confidence and warmth he left behind for her. Their bond was unbreakable and their intimacy gave them a better understanding of each other, making them stronger together and independent. _

_They will always have their love and friendship. _

Sakura shivered from the slight chill and nostalgia, holding her arms against her chest as she followed Neji through the trees.

If she had been capable or willing to give and receive love, Sakura was willing to bet that she and Naruto could have had so much more. An intense, romantic love, marriage, a family, who knows how far it could have gone. But helping Hinata have her chance at happiness was much more satisfying. She and Naruto made better friends than a loving couple anyways.

And besides, Sakura reflected, if she would have stayed with Naruto, then she would have never found Neji, _Him, _or Kakashi. And she'd hate to have missed out on such fine men.

She sighed to herself feeling wistful and remorseful. Neji noticed the girls absent attention and pulled his pace back to match hers. He cleared his throat to get her attention, then again when she still didn't notice him.

"Sakura," He called, reaching out and shaking her shoulder. She blinked back to reality and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, Neji. Did you want something?"

He shook his head but didn't look away from her. "You're zoning out. What's on you're mind?"

Sakura blushed and Neji saw it. She didn't mind though. After a year or so of on and offs with the Hyuuga heir, Sakura had gotten used to his silent knowing of everything. It had pissed her off for a while, but she got over it as they shared a bed more.

He probably already knew she was thinking about Naruto. Neji's eyes never missed a thing and he knew about their previous relationship from Hinata.

"It's nothing, really. Just considering things and thinking." Sakura didn't really want to tell him. If he knew, then he knew, and if he didn't then that would be the first. But she wasn't going to out right admit to anything.

Neji is a bit of a possessive type. Sakura had found him many times scaring off her free time flirts. It was impossible to have any female fun when all the potential victims either didn't want to mess with Neji, or had already been beaten by him. All he had to do was look at them, really.

She really didn't care about the men to get angry about it. But it was fun to later console a jealous Neji into bed and let him worship her body and feel superbly feminine.

There was just something about being vigorously claimed by a man who can be mistaken as one-toned unless you got to know him. Neji let loose and tumbled all over the bed in wild adoration when he took her.

"Hm, don't let it compromise the mission." And Neji took the lead again, jumping ahead of her and picking up speed. Sakura smiled to herself, knowing he didn't mean it to be insulting. To any one else, it would be just as he said. But to her, Sakura heard "Don't worry about it." He was sweet in his own weird way.

Their relationship was sudden and uncomplicated at first. Sakura needed the comfort and reassurance of another body, and Neji was there when she had broken down. It was only after months, almost a year of tossing sheets and arduous work that they were able to fully understand one another and care about more than sex. For Neji, it opened up to him a level of over protectiveness.

And it had started with a simple A rank mission.

_Sakura was seventeen and had been a chuunin for about a year. The Hokage, Tsunade, called her into her office to issue a mission that she was needed on as medicnin. There were four others in the room too, the Jounin which she would accompany, and the only face she recognized was Neji Hyuuga. _

_He was the team leader and it pissed Sakura off that he completely ignored her. _

_The mission sent them to stone to infiltrate an underground rebel nin hideout. It was literally underground too. That was another reason she had been chosen to go. She could use her strength and fists to crush through the earth and collapse the supports. _

"_You will be held responsible if you screw up. Don't compromise the mission." Neji stared coolly down at her, being a good head taller than she is. Sakura just glared right back, hating his cocky attitude and for putting her off so soon. _

_She'd show him. _

_When they got to the encampment, though, Sakura wasn't able to show Neji anything but her pitiful emotional breakdown. _

_Neji ordered every one to span out into the forest and conceal themselves as he activated his Byakougan to scan the underground caverns. He flashed a series of hand signs that she didn't understand. He looked to her and she shrugged her shoulders, implying that she didn't know what he said. He repeated the signs slower, an irritated twist squinching his cheek, but Sakura didn't know any of them. _

_His lip twitched as he jumped from his previous spot and landed next to Sakura, giving her a sarcastic snarl. "If you haven't learned to sign code yet then you are not a very well trained ninja." Sakura was instantly on defense and ready to knock him off the tree when he cut her off and pointed to their target area. "Since you're an idiot, I'll just tell you. There are fifty-six targets; twenty of them rogue ninja with low level chakra, eleven individual rooms and fifteen feet deep. There is one room that is empty and a reasonable distance from any occupied rooms. All you have to do is use your chakra and force it down through the rock to create a tunnel through the far east side of the ceiling. Keep the stone steady so not to shake the rock and alert them to our infiltration. After we are in, you will wait back here until we get back. Nothing else, got it?"_

_Sakura nodded harshly, barley restraining from pound-smacking the prick into the hidden rooms personally. Just because he assumes she is a bad ninja, just because she never learned signing code, and just because he was a bastard prick. _

_She hadn't wanted to hurt someone so bad for a while. And he had to insult her sensei too! Sakura vowed that when the mission was over she was going to show the arrogant jackass what was what!_

"_Stay focused, idiot!" Neji hissed from beside her. Sakura cursed her absent mindedness as she followed the other four men to the rocky ground. Neji pointed to a particular spot and motioned in a circle where she was to drill. She glared at him and he matched her look as she locked her legs and held her hands palm down in front of her. The added irritation and anger helped the strength of her chakra slowly force its way through solid rock while steadying all the other connecting stone from vibrating or shifting from the force of her chakra. When she broke through into the room, it had only taken five minutes…which went unappreciated by the team leader._

_Neji made sure to send her one last glare before pointing towards the surrounding trees and dropping into the hole. _

"_Bastard," she seethed to herself. He was going to get it when they got home. _

_Then, barely a minute after the last man disappeared down into the hole, Sakura felt a small jab at her throat and a miniscule flare of chakra behind her. _

_It had been a senbon or something sharp._

_Sakura built her arms and fist up with chakra and spun around as fast as she could while directing her fist to where the flare was. Her knuckles popped as they released the chakra and the unsuspecting fool that was hit was rocketed back and careened through trees and shrubs. _

_The attacker was dead. _

_There was only a moment of reprieve before Sakura sensed another presence, stronger than the one from before. She went to gather chakra to her fists again when suddenly her knees gave out and her neck burned and choked her. _

_What ever they poisoned her with was cutting off her chakra, Sakura realized desperately. Not only was it weakening her, but it was also debilitating her muscles and equilibrium. She faintly realized that who ever was behind her had grabbed her hair and then lost conscience as he smashed her face into the rock._

_For over twenty four hours, Sakura was vaguely aware of anything as her assailants tortured and disgraced her body, taking pleasure in beating and demeaning her. They must have known who she was because she was constantly drugged and restrained. They had tried to interrogate her, but even delirious and threatened, Sakura wouldn't talk. _

_It was the first time she had ever been captured or even tortured. She oddly thought of Ibiki, finding more respect for the creepy interrogator than before._

_Sakura didn't know when she was rescued. She didn't even know what happened. It was only when she stabilized some coherent thought in the arms of Neji that every thing became clear. _

_It was early morning and they were in fire territory, resting from battle and Sakura could only clutch onto Neji's jacket and sob from despair. He didn't say anything as he held her against him and rubbed her back in soothing circles careful of her bandaged wounds. _

_Neji blamed himself for her capture. He hadn't thoroughly scouted the area for any guards, and then leaving her on her own was a mistake. She had fought well, killing one of her attackers, but even the most efficient ninja can't fight a demobilizing poison and an opponent at the same time. _

_If it weren't for his Byakougan, then he would have never found the slightest of trails, and Sakura could be dead. When he had found her, bloody and used, Neji made sure to slowly dispose of the filth and slash them to slivers. He had enjoyed the revenge for her._

_Neji carried her back to the village, letting her stain his jacket with her tears. The rest of his team didn't say anything, feeling the same guilt he did. It was their own carelessness that caused the girl's pain. _

_When they walked through the gates, Neji ignored the curious looks from onlookers and told his team to report in to the Hokage. He knew where Sakura lived, thanks to mutual friends, and quickly made his way there, careful not to be seen by any one. Sakura had asked him to take her home and not to the infirmary. Her body was only minutely damaged, but in no danger, and she wasn't ready yet to face anyone out of shame. _

_He walked into her house and searched for her room. Gently, he laid her in the bed and tucked her into the covers. _

_Sakura hadn't said a word since she had woken up, other than the request to be taken home. Neji guessed she was traumatized and in shock. Was she an innocent until then? Hadn't she been with Naruto before? He didn't know. But Neji had done what he could for her and stood from her side to leave when she clutched his hand in hers and pulled him back. _

"_Please," she rasped out and swallowed more tears. "Please, I…don't leave me alone." Sakura pulled him closer and Neji let her. She didn't look broken, which was a relief to Neji, but the look in her eyes called to a softer part of him. "It shouldn't be like that Neji, sex shouldn't…I don't want to feel so dirty with it." Even though the even was fuzzy, Sakura still knew and felt what had happened. It was the first time she had ever been frightened and weak as a woman. _

_He was confused at first, wondering what she wanted from him. Staring a little longer into her dark emerald eyes, they captured him as her hand in his tugged him closer. And it was clear what she wanted and Neji couldn't look into her eyes and deny her. _

_Cautiously, Neji lowered his hip to the bed and stretched out beside her. Sakura felt dirty and degraded by the acts which were forced on her. She didn't want to become frightened by the experience. Sakura needed reassurance that sex and physical intimacy wasn't painful, but pleasurable._

_There was no way Neji was going to take advantage of her, though. There were other ways besides sex to melt a body into passionate leisure. Ways like touch sensation and physical proximity, added to soft caresses and sensual whispers. _

_They spent the night in sensual ecstasy as Neji touched and soothed every inch of Sakura until she was all sighs and sweet kisses. He hadn't intended to do more than massage and caress her into sweet passion, but Sakura would softly kiss at him pressuring Neji to return the favor. When his lips met hers, Neji couldn't let go. He refused to go any further, refused to undress either one of them, but Neji figured he could kiss her all he wanted for the night. He had in mind to experience more of Sakura when she was less vulnerable and delicate. _

_It never occurred to him that he liked being with Sakura more than he should. Neji never could get enough of her._

Sakura was again nudged out of her daze as Neji looked concerned. They were in a village standing in front of a house. The older man at the door gave her a strange look. It was the client's house.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention. You are Kashiki-san?" She flashed her best smile, hoping to make up for her spacing.

"Yes, I am. Are you really the Hokage's apprentice?" Kashiki asked skeptically. He looked over to Neji, who nodded in affirmative. She sighed and laughed pathetically. Some people doubted her, but she couldn't blame him, this one time.

Kashiki led them inside his small sized house and directed them to the bedrooms. The mission stated that Sakura was to assist a family of seven with the flu. What Sakura wasn't aware of, was that there were six small and very sick boys that liked to throw things and fight.

Sakura and Neji exchanged glances. There were times when Sakura really hated trying to help people. Especially when little brats are jumping at you and kicking your shins as you try to make them better.

Ungrateful little…

**XxX**

It was careful work trying to sketch the image in front of him. They kept moving and exposing different angles for him to try. If he didn't really like the three women in his view, he'd toss the sketch and pick up his binoculars.

It was a joy indeed to be able to catch a glimpse of such ravishing water nymphs. Not once had he been able to watch them after he was caught spying on them three years before.

Did they think any amount of time was enough for him to forget beauties like that?

Jiraiya absently wiped the dab of drool from his chin and tried to keep his pen moving. The three young women had only gotten more attractive since the last time. The short haired brunette had a tattoo on her inner thigh, which was new.

He made sure to sketch that as well. Maybe he could use that as bait in his next volume? Maybe he could also convince Sakura to write the woman's point of view? She did an excellent job on the last volume and the fan mail he'd received showed that both men and woman loved the twist. And considering the mail could drown him in a ten foot deep pool after only three days of the book being released said quite a bit.

Thinking about Sakura reminded him that Kakashi should only be on chapter three. He had gotten a small note from Tsunade saying that the plan was working the first day, but Jiraiya had no clue on how the last two days had gone. He doubted Kakashi could be fooled for long without any suspicions, so he had expected a visit from his number-one customer on the first day.

But he hadn't seen Kakashi at all. He had only one visitor asking about the book, but he had nothing to do with Sakura and Kakashi.

Well, Jiraiya conceded, if Kakashi was going to take his time, then he was going to enjoy the unsuspecting entertainment.

His grin watered at his soon to be intimate character co-stars. No matter how many times he sees the girls splash around in skimpy suits, Jiraiya could never tire of it. To him, it was the ultimate desire.

The Beautiful, Wet, Untouchable Female Goddess Trio of Water Elemental Appeal. That is the title he gave them which he thought fit perfectly. You could never have too many adjectives when describing such a perfect obsession.

Jiraiya had stopped drawing long ago as his eyes stared unblinkingly through the bushes. He was to busy catching every supple movement and expression, committing it to memory to use later that he didn't detect the small projectile aimed in his direction. He didn't even sense the appearance of his attacker as he landed ten feet behind him.

The fist sized rock struck Jiraiya in the back of his head. Kakashi wasn't expecting the rock to actually hit the older ninja, but he wasn't disappointed or sorry to watch the white haired perv get thrown through the shrubbery and faceplant into the rocky-bottom river edge.

Screams pierced his ears sharply and shouts of 'Pervert' and 'You again! Get him!' rang out over the green plants in front of him. Kakashi almost couldn't hear the girly squeal of Jiraiya or his audacious remarks on their beauty over the three female's ruckus. Sharp and blunt objects flew passed him through the leaves followed by the old man as he dove ,spazing through the bush and ducked.

Jiraiya looked up and grinned from his crouched position when the projectiles stopped, still holding the sketches that were intact and whole. He jumped up and cupped his face and yelled back over to the women. "I still have your pictures! Be sure to check yourselves out in next month's issue!" One of the girls snarled indignantly and the next instant one of Jiraiya's wooden shoes shot through the bush and smacked him in the face and scattered some of his drawings.

Kakashi sighed as Jiraiya twitched with a mouthful of his shoe. It was sometimes ridiculous what the man did to entertain and make a scene.

Still twitching and slobbering on his shoe, Kakashi decided to drag the pathetic nimrod back to his secluded hut-home. It helped his low chivalry to drag the old coot by the end of his long white hair.

**XxX**

Jiraiya sipped his freshly brewed tea casually and disregarded the twitching eye staring at the band aid on his forehead. The bump left by one end of his attacking clog was tenderly covered by a smiling pink bunny head band aid, which Jiraiya thought was sorta cute.

It helped to divert Kakashi from the reason he was there for a while. And he really liked silly useless things. Maybe he could give the Copy Nin one before he left…or just keep them to himself.

Kakashi didn't touch his tea. It was hard to look away from the crazy band aid sticking to the old man's forehead. It seemed to urge him to use it as a target. Punch the funny bunny face-break-lash and win your sanity back. Bonus points if can get it to quit smirking at you. Use intense flames.

All of a sudden, he really hated pink bunnies.

"So," Jiraiya finally finished his third cup of tea and couldn't drink any more. Plus, the look Kakashi was sending to his little bunny friend worried him. "I take it you are here because you want to tell me in person how much you loved my gift?"

"You could say not." He replied smoothly and leaned back in his seat. There was something off in the Sannin's voice that caught his attention. Was Jiraiya anxious, or tying not to laugh? He couldn't tell.

"Ah, then I'll remember to make you pay next time." The two ninja stared off, daring the other to break contact. Jiraiya was a difficult opponent to figure out. Ibiki would be a piece of cake compared to the expressively difficult stare of the pervert. Kakashi didn't look away though. He'd catch something if he kept watching.

Jiraiya enjoyed the scrutiny knowing the kid wasn't going to find anything. As they stared off, he noticed the darkness of his eye, the bags and top lid looking bruised from lack of sleep. He could almost see the fatigue straining his body and shaking slightly. Kakashi's whole appearance was more disheveled than usual. His hair was darker and slick from not being cleaned and his clothes were worn from constant wear.

Sakura's bait must have been working better than he thought. It was a tickle to know he was a part of it. He could also use this information as an excuse to pester the sexy Hokage.

Kakashi casually surveyed the small room, noting the writing junk and pictures that littered the tables. It was the shelves of albums that stayed his focus. The albums came in all sizes and female names labeled the spines. Some of the names he recognized and others were unknown. He saw that Anko's album was fairly large compared most of the others, which was creepy. The largest one was Tsunade and spanned a total of eight extra large books.

Then, Sakura's name caught his attention. It was pretty big but not too large. It was a good guess to say the albums held pages of pictures. A small part of him was disgusted with the older man, and another part impressed. Kakashi didn't have the guts or initiative to take pictures of women, especially Anko. "What made you change your material? I'm a little disappointed." Kakashi didn't look away from Sakura's album. He couldn't stop thinking of her, staring at her and now he couldn't look away from her name. But, at least it was better than staring at a stupid mocking bunny band aid.

He was pretty far over the line by now. It wouldn't help to think how much further he could fuck up with his morals and libido. He'd already crossed the line with rabid rats the minute his eyes caught a look at her shorts.

Jiraiya nodded sagely. "I see, I see." He saw through the façade well enough and thought of a way to unset him. Kakashi thought he could fool him, but Jiraiya knew more than he did. It wasn't going to work. He could evilly cackle at his idea. He was a devil of a man. Ha, when they bullshit, throw it back. That's how he worked. "You're angry that I used Sakura in my book the way I did. If I had known she was yours I would have used some one else." Kakashi chocked on his tongue but Jiraiya went on. "You can't blame a man like me for noticing such unique beauty. Plus it's easy to crave her innocent cuteness and damnable magnificence with mind numbing ferocity." But throw it back in disguise. Added with ridiculous poetry. Oh, Jiraiya considered himself very sly.

"Damnit man!" Kakashi crashed his knuckles down onto Jiraiya's head. "She isn't mine, ok? Why would you think she was?"

He rubbed his sore head, wishing he could put a bunny band aid on it over his hair. The other ninja didn't hit near as hard as Sakura or Tsunade, but it still stung. On the bright side, his reaction only proved that he was pretty unhinged over the pink haired beauty. "Well what else am I to suspect? First you suddenly show up and attack me with a rock, glare at me, stare at her album without saying anything and then try to convince me you don't like the book. It's obvious the only reason you're here is because Sakura is in it and you're jealous and possessive. You never said a thing before when I used your other friends. Not even that one hotel maid you spent some time with."

"That is different. Sakura is my student,"

"Ex student." Jiraiya interrupted.

"My friend," He hissed instead. "And I don't believe it's right that Sakura's image is being sold to please perverted men. It's immoral."

"Perverts like you maybe?" He grinned slyly as Kakashi's lips strained behind his mask. He stood up, infuriated that the guy could say such a thing, even if I was true. Kakashi's hands twitched ready to form hand seals. Jiraiya crossed his arms and leveled Kakashi with an intimidating gaze. "Don't try it, Kakashi. You know you'll end up the loser, no matter how hard you fight."

He was right and Kakashi knew it. But still, to have the truth thrown so bluntly in his face when he was trying so hard to deny it was damning. Instead of saying anything back or fighting him, Kakashi turned his back on the Sannin and squared his shoulders. "I'd like to take that smirk off your face, but it would be pointless. It's impossible to recall all the books and the damage is done. But I don't want to see her in there again. If I do…" He left the threat hanging and walked out of the small house, leaving an amused old man behind him.

Three steps out of the door, Kakashi sighed in defeat and flipped irritably to the third chapter. In the immortal words of anyone giving into temptations, "Fuck it," he growled and began his self-torture.

Jiraiya could hardly sit still in his seat while Kakashi disappeared. Excuse or not, Tsunade had to hear about this.

Sakura seemed to have that man in all sorts of trouble after only three days. He couldn't wait till he read chapter six. If he had any strings left of his control after that, then Kakashi wasn't human.

Not even a celibate monk could go unaffected after that.

Jiraiya laughed so loud and hard the entire little building shook.

Kakashi chose to ignore it in favor of mental stimulation.

**XxX**

"I'm not going to allow you to blow up trees because you're angry."

"I'm not angry, I'm murderous. Don't those brats know gratitude? I use my chakra to help them and all they do is pummel us with everything they can throw. And their parents didn't try to stop them. They just bowed and apologized like it was no big deal!"

"Calm down, Sakura. You're working yourself up to much over this. Look, your arms are so full of chakra they are burning blue."

"I have gum in my hair, Neji! Don't you dare tell me to calm down when it comes to my hair. Short hair is fine but I have no intentions of ever going bald."

"You don't have to shave your head. It's only a little bit of hair and if you'd just calm down I can cut it out. I'll even make it so no one will notice that it is shorter than the rest."

"But… No! You can't touch my hair with that knife!"

"I know what I'm doing. My hair is longer than yours and I have had gum in mine too."

"Oh…ok. Just be careful. I'll kill you for every mistake you make. I swear I will."

"Sure. Now stop twitching and stand still."

"Oh man, you're actually cutting my hair. You really are."

"Calm down. Damn, here look. I'm done."

"My hair! My precious hair is glomped with sticky gum. I'll never throw it away."

"It's mostly gum. That's just a tad nasty."

"Hush, it holds a part of me within it. Like my baby."

"I uh…yeah, you're fucking crazy."

"Slightly mental with a side of insanity."

"That's worse."

"I know. I think so highly of myself. And I'm creative too. See? My hair ball now is a pink hairy turtle."

"…ner…"

"You're no fun, you know that? Geeze, I was just kidding. You need to work on your sarcastic bullshit."

"You're just a little to convincing. And creepy."

"I needed an outlet for my murderous anger. It worked. I'm not all that mad any more."

"No, you're still mad. I'm going to get you some help when we get back. It's for your own good."

"See? You can be funny if you want to be."

"I'm not joking. You need help."

"Awe fuck! Neji, I'm just joking!"

"That's what they all say."

"That's irrelevant. This is Sakura we're talking about, not 'they'."

**XxX**

Ino checked her watch again with impatience. It was only four thirty and she still hadn't found Kakashi. If she didn't get him to the gates by five, than Sakura was going to be pissed.

It was great to know that Sakura was finally going after what she wants, but there was no reason to drag her into this. If Ino had known before hand how hard it was going to be to find the older man, then she would have refused to help.

Now she was running around the village looking for a man known for being late. With her luck, she'd find him by supper time and he'd say he'd been walking around all day or had a splinter...you never knew with him.

Ino smacked her forehead and groaned. There was only ten minutes left to meet Sakura now and Kakashi was still missing. No one had seen him all day! And she'd asked total strangers in desperation.

"Yo," there was a tap at her shoulder and Ino turned around. "So, I heard you were looking for me." Kakashi grinned behind his mask at the blank look Ino gave him. Some one had stopped him when he came back to the village after leaving Jiraiya and said a raging blonde had been looking for him for hours. He could only assume the raging blonde was Ino, and he had been right when she turned around and twitched. Judging by her unruly appearance, she'd been running for a while too.

The pressure in her head slowly built and stopped her mental process for a time. Ino could only stare blankly at the masked ninja as her anger and anxiety surged past her control looking for an outlet. The release came as a piercing scream accompanied by intense hair yanking.

"Kakashi Hatake, I could kill you right now!" Ino stomped and raged, cursing Kakashi for her troubles and Kakashi found it was easier to let the woman scream than to get bit shushing her. So he just leaned back and ignored her until she was ready to calm down. When she was huffing and catching her breath, Kakashi cleared his throat and waved passively.

"Well, it's good to see you to Ino, but I think it would be easier to understand what your saying if you'd scream softer. So?" He laid his hand out flat, offering her the chance to talk.

She had the modesty to blush and straiten her hair, but Ino was still irritated. It was just her luck to be the one picked to find him. Naruto gets to go camping while she chases a goose. "Sorry about yelling at you. But I've been looking for you all day."

"So I've heard."

"_And _I want to ask a favor." Ino finished it off with a pleading pout.

"Well," He scratched his masked chin. "It depends on what you ask."

"I need you to meet Sakura at the gates in-"She checked her watch. "Six minutes when she gets off from her mission."

Her name had him paling and his heart jumping oddly. He didn't like the sudden reaction. It was just her name. "Why not get some one else?"

"Because she asked me but I have important plans and Naruto is busy with Hinata." Sakura told her to just wing it, make up a story to eliminate any one he could think of the take his place. She just hopped she was a good enough liar. Ino was never good at hiding information.

"Sasuke?"

"Sure, yeah, he'd be happy to stop what he's doing for Sakura." He winced at the obvious sarcasm.

"And Lee? He'd do it."

"Busy training and only on his second set of laps. He wouldn't stop long enough to hear me out."

"Right, well, see you around. Good luck with Sakura." He waved and turned around, flipping his red book open to where he left off on chapter three. Sadly, Kakashi only got three steps before painful claws clamped onto his shoulder and twisted him back around. Ino's red and raging scary face shoved its way past his steel bubble and snarled.

"Just for that buster, I'm making you go. If Sakura tries to yell at me for not being there I'll be happy to blame it all on you. It'll be you who stood her up, you to face her angry fist and another broken nose."

He did wince slightly in fear of a broken nose, but the really scary part was the intense amount of spit hitting his face and slowly seeping through his mask.

There was just something about spit that worked his gag reflex up enough to choke him. Kakashi shook his head back and forth to keep from ralfing and Ino took it as him saying he'd go. Which Kakashi would argue about if he could talk, but the threat of puke in a mask was stalling him.

When Ino walked off and left him on his own, Kakashi found and hid behind a tree long enough to catch his breath and swallow the sour pre-puke. Then, not wanting to put a slobbery smelling mask back on, he took off his shirts and vest and turned the shirt-part-mask backwards. It was uncomfortable, but at least the smelly spit was at his neck instead.

He was almost sure no one saw him partially strip. But it was pretty fucked that he chose today to wear the mask attached to the shirt. What happened to practical wear? When did his every day clothes get complicated?

Stepping out from behind the tree and adjusting his vest, Kakashi flipped open his friendly book and continued his reading on the way to meet Sakura. There was just no escaping the woman, either in his mind or in person. It was something he was slowly convincing himself was futile.

Furthermore, if he was to go by what he was reading, then there was no way to get away from her. He was halfway through the chapter and in the extra two minutes taken to walk to the gates, there was no surprise in the similarities of his life and the book.

It was almost expected to read about Sensei's mental battle over his obsession, on how he couldn't get her out of his head, wanting to be near her, wanting her, getting stalker tendencies, and what ever else she could possible pop up in, she does. He should have been suspicious, surprised or even a little bit freaked out as he read about that very day, not including the trip to visit Jiraiya, and how he was on his way to the gates. But he found it was almost comforting to have his chaotic emotions and tremulous mental bantering put into simple words and easy to understand terms.

He could connect with Sensei on a mental level, and somehow it was like the book was telling him what he was feeling and going through. It sorted out his difficulties and indecisions on Sakura and gave him focus enough to concentrate solely on her and not the muddle his mind was in.

And then, in the book, when his inner turmoil was covered and Sensei happened across the kunoichi after her mission -which he couldn't drudge up the effort to break brain lobes thinking about it- Kakashi felt like he had the rational capacity to positively face Sakura without getting distracted by his own thoughts or uncertainties.

Before he fully reached the village gates, Kakashi was able to finish the very last of the chapter. It was more of a filler, meant to give a tour on how Sensei was reacting to the torture so far, but he didn't mind. There was only a brief encounter between the two ninja and it ended with Sensei loosing his cool and ditching Sakura.

Kakashi made a note not to let any random what-not get the better of him. He'd made a fool of himself with Sakura enough as it was. He was just going to keep his mind on clean innocent thoughts and not let his intentions work him over like Sensei had done. The idea that Kakashi was subconsciously trusting what would happen as by the book and not finding it suspicious never occurred to him.

Flipping the pages to the beginning of the chapter, Kakashi leaned against an adjacent building of the open gates to wait for the pink haired trouble. Ino had said to meet the girl in six minutes, but the six minute time frame was passed by at least ten minutes.

He was a slow walker, and plus he had to do an impromptu strip. Well, even though it was later than was planned, Kakashi decided to wait a while, just in case the mission had taken longer.

However, the instant he decided to relax and continue reading, a sharp flare of chakra and a small tornado of dust and rubble kicked up and about obscuring his vision.

"Kakashi," He heard her yell from within the vortex of swimming dirt. Her figure was a blur and then quickly came into focus as she jumped out of the dust. Kakashi had his hand raised and was ready to greet her when she grabbed his wrist and jerked him behind her. "Run!" She yelled back and pulled him along at a slightly blinding speed through the closely spaced buildings.

There was barely a chance to get out more than a strangled "Wha…" before Sakura was pulling him around a corner as someone shouted her name out. Kakashi caught the briefest glimpse of Neji Hyuuga before it was blocked by a stone wall. He could feel the guy's chakra following them, and then realized that Sakura was masking hers.

Still being dragged by the younger woman, Kakashi suppressed his own presence as he felt Neji's slowly move away from them. Sakura noticed Neji's distance as well and slowed her frantic speed down to a casual walk.

She dropped his wrist and jumped around to walk backwards laughing. "Take that, I told him I wasn't going to no psych ward! For my own good, my ass! He just doesn't know how to bump it with the best." She punched her fist excitedly for good measure.

Completely unsure of her odd behavior and the reasons behind it, Kakashi slouched back and slipped his hands into his pockets. "So, dismissing the facts that I might agree with Neji and that you have some issues," He suppressed a snicker as she pouted indignantly and puffed her cheeks. The hidden spark in her eyes gave away her amusement and Kakashi found himself albeit playful all of a sudden. "What happened?"

Her amusement turned to excitement when he continued to play along. "He wants to institutionalize me!" She snapped out with a vicious grin. She crossed her arms like she was haughtily waiting for more. It was clear she was wanting a challenge and Kakashi aimed to…try his best. He hated to admit it, but he wasn't one for word games. In fact, it'd been a while since he'd participated in one and not just casually shrug it off. He'd use what ever he could to keep the battle interesting, and what better way to fight her fiery attacks than with his cool blocks and smooth dodges?

"Now," he slipped his hands from his pockets and crossed him on his chest. "Why would he do that?" He answered her in a calm, patronizing tone. He could feel her energy flare at the challenge and taunt.

"Because he's crazy," her response casual and matter of fact as she turned back around and walked strait again.

Kakashi's eyes drifted to the hem of her kimono as it skimmed her thighs. Suddenly, the game became difficult. He was only partially aware of what he was saying as the rest of his attention was settled on the swish of the hem on skin. "I think you have that backwards."

"No, it's because he's jealous of my hair." Her fingers flipped the pink strands back as she turned slightly to wink at him effectively pulling his focus away from below the waist. She didn't mind him looking, but word tag was much more fun. Kakashi snorted at her audacious comment.

"Ya, that is exactly why. Of course it is." He patted her head as he spoke like she was a child. In a smooth, quick twist, Sakura had replaced her hand in his and held it fast as she skipped beside him.

"Great! You believe me. Told you he was crazy."

Just as quickly, Kakashi pulled out of her grasp and turned back around. Sakura almost cried out, hurt that he would pull from her like he did. She hadn't done any thing wrong, had she?

"I'm going to go get Neji. You're way past critical." The minute fear was instantly forgotten and Sakura jumped after him with renewed excitement. Of course he wouldn't move away from her, what was she thinking?

"No, you can't. I'll threaten you." Wrapping both her arms around one of his, she planted her feet and halted his step. Almost to calmly, Kakashi looked down at her, eyebrow raised.

"With what?" he challenged. Her grin grew as she plotted.

"I'll hang your underwear on a poll." His eyebrow fell comically, well as comically as one eyebrow can at her ridiculous statement.

"I don't wear any." He countered her hoping it would give him an edge.

Sadly, Sakura could only laugh insanely to herself. He was making it to easy for her. With a slow twirl, she moved in front of him and smiled sweetly. Much like a bashful little girl, Sakura ran her fingers along the ends of her kimono while swinging her arms and looking through her lashes. "Neither do I."

The little sound from the back of his throat was an ego boost added with the drop of his eye to her waist before quickly looking back up. He swallowed loudly and tried to keep his eye narrowed. "Liar," he accused when he could make sound again.

"Wanna bet? You can check if you want." Her fingers pulled the edge of her kimono up slowly, daring.

Kakashi gulped again, having nothing safe to reply with. Instead, he could only fake out. "So, uh…are you hungry or something?"

With a shout of triumph, Sakura jumped onto Kakashi's arm to gloat. "You lose!"

"I conceded peacefully. It was safer." like hell he'd admit to pussin out. The game had taken a provocative turn for the worse and Kakashi wasn't prepared for the nasty twist in his stomach at her lifting skirt end. Shit, if he drooled any more then his gag reflex would…reflex again. He couldn't just flip the mask this time around.

She had to know the effect she was having on him by the look in her evil sea foam eyes.

"Pfsh, you just can't handle this, little boy."

High threat of nose bleed, air passage choked. It would be smart to give up now.

"Yah, about that food." damn the shame. He looked away to hide his dazed expression.

"Loser." She punched his arm then looped it with hers. Looking around, Sakura noticed they had been standing in the middle of the road for quite a while. Shrugging and pulling on Kakashi's arm, they started back to walking. "Fine then, lets get some ramen. At least I suck at that." Bad innuendo.

Crap…

A stepping foot somehow forgot what it was doing and Kakashi stumbled and almost tripped. Her arm supported him and she giggled softly. "Don't worry. No one ever beats me at this game." The arrogant twit.

"You are cruel." He murmured dispassionately.

"No, what's cruel is I really don't have any panties."

She was arrogant, but right so. There was only a plume of smoke left in his place as Kakashi made a hasty exit so he could faceplant hopelessly in solitude. In the safety of his apartment.

Kakashi pulled his Icha book out from his flak, hating his predestined agony. Of course he knew the book wasn't giving him any ideas or making him feel anything for Sakura, but now he couldn't delude himself any longer. Everything he was feeling or thinking was genuine. No book could program a person so completely as to corrupt them. What he felt was real all along, just brought to attention by the book, not instigated.

He tossed the book away from him and hit his head against his bed post. Just knowing the truth about a situation didn't mean he couldn't hate it. Tomorrow he'd start worrying about Sakura now that he didn't have himself to sidetrack any attention.

Maybe tomorrow, Kakashi could do something about his attraction rather than be a coward about it.

**XxX**

Sakura snorted into her hand as Kakashi ran away in a smoky poof. He was becoming more and more amusing to be around. The bouts of teasing was becoming easier and more comfortable.

This could be who Kakashi really is, or a part of him. He had been a mystery for so long.

She was really liking the person he could be if he'd let some one in. Sakura was liking him more and more each day. If luck was on her side, then Kakashi would begin to loosen up around her so that her plan tomorrow would be successful.

The day was ending and since Sakura had no where to be, she turned to go home for a rare night to relax. Her day was exhausting all in all, no thanks to any rotten kids, but her brief moment with Kakashi was calming, almost drugging.

He was a great way to end a day.

**XxX**

**Thank You Reviewers!! You Guys Rock! If I could, I'd scream so loud my throat would explode. A happy scream of course. I'll just have to make do with muffling it in a pillow. Your comments have been a big reason that I've forced myself to keep going. This entire thing is for you, and partially me. Yay!**

**I had started writing this chapter a week after the second one was posted. I would write, then stare and stare. Put a little bit more and then stare and depress. I had to force myself to do this and it was hard. I have it outlined and planned, but like every day life, achieving the desired outcome is harder than planning it.**

**I had a bit of a humor moment, the slight parody between Neji and Sakura, but it was partly a lazy moment. Eh, I think I deserve a few half assed freebees.**

**Shoot, can't tell you when I'll get to update. Hell, I'm living in a one horse town, Kansas, working everyday as a housekeeper trying to make some money to move back to Austin, and I have no friends. The few people I knew before either went to jail, been arrested, or were jackasses, great friends, huh? Needless to say, I have no motivation. Maybe when I get some shit together I can buck up and act like a spaz again. I hate being emo and pathetic but I'm so friggin bored. I'm not giving up on this story though. I love it just as much as everyone else. Luck is just not my friend.**

**Well, enjoy the story, and I hope the longer chapter makes up a bit for my shortcomings. Oh, and the fourth man will be mentioned in the next chapter. Though, I don't think it's to much of a secret. But it was either end it here or wait another month to write a few more pages. Eh, I chose the former. Hope you guys don't try to hunt me down. I tried my best.**

**Laters**

**Ymir-chan**


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